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Agribusiness, Governments and Food Crime: A Critical Perspective

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Green Harms and Crimes

Part of the book series: Critical Criminological Perspectives ((CCRP))

Abstract

The relationships between humans and agricultural environments are not exempt from processes of modernization. Practices that involve industrialization, corporatization and neoliberalization have drastically reformed the modern practices of the food industry, as well as the regulations which govern them. Recognizing this context, Hazel Croall introduced the concept of food crime some years ago, defining it as the ‘many crimes that are involved in the production, distribution and selling of basic foodstuffs’ (2007: 206). Food crimes include a range of behaviours, ranging from economic and physical harms to both the humans and animals involved in the food industry, to food adulteration and the misrepresentation of food quality. Since then, while few other authors have specifically referred to their work as studies in food crime, there has been a growing literature dealing with connecting issues. As a focal point for criminological research, food crime overlaps with other emerging and established areas of inquiry, including green criminology (Beirne and South, 2007), environmental crime (White, 2008) and corporate crime (Croall, 2007).

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Authors
  1. Allison Gray
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  2. Ron Hinch
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Oslo, Norway

    Ragnhild Aslaug Sollund

Copyright information

© 2015 Allison Gray and Ron Hinch

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Gray, A., Hinch, R. (2015). Agribusiness, Governments and Food Crime: A Critical Perspective. In: Sollund, R.A. (eds) Green Harms and Crimes. Critical Criminological Perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137456267_6

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